The first steps towards rebuilding Kedarnath

The Archaeological Survey of India team plans to restore the Kedarnath temple along the lines of how they restored the famous shore temple in Mahabalipuram.

Dr BR Mani, Head of the ASI team which visited Uttarakhand on Sunday, recalled that the waters of the Bay of Bengal had damaged the Mahabalipuram temple in a manner similar to the way the waters of the Mandakini river had damaged the Kedarnath temple.

The team has reached some conclusions: Saving the building from the fast moving river and using original material to restore original style. "In case of Kedarnath, we will not use mortar and iron will be used in abundance", the team concluded.

For those interested, here are the details: Boulders of different sizes came along with the gushing waters, leading to huge cracks and defacement at 3-4 important places. The Kedarnath temple's eastern gate saw the maximum extent of the damage. The temple mandap or canopy, which already had a tilt, was further damaged. Thankfully, the garbha-griha or sanctum sanctorum, was made of solid rock and therefore intact.

For lovers of building styles, the Kedarnath temple - built in the 11th century - is of the Nagar temple architecture type which encompasses the Katyuri style seen in the hilly regions.

Ironically, the temple was not a protected monument in the ASI's list. But, as Dr Mani put it, "Kedarnath temple is a religious centre of immense significance and the temple complex is a monumental core of culture which contributes to the identity of India."